Friends of the Arboretum Lecture

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"Wild, Tamed, Lost Revived" A lecture and conversation with Diane Flynt

• Thursday, September 14, 2023 – 6:30 pm–8:30 pm

With the crisp fall air and the children headed back to school, our minds light up with images of shiny, bright red apples. This is hardly fair to the over 2,000 different apple varieties representing countless shapes and colors that have been cultivated in the South for well over 200 years, and it's about time the rich history of the diversity of this fruit was made known. In her new book, "Wild, Tamed, Lost Revived," Diane Flynt lays out this history beautifully, so we've invited this dear Friend of the Arboretum to come and share with us all she's discovered!

Diane will give you a taste of the surprising history of apples she uncovered while writing her book. She'll then be joined by a handful of her apple colleagues, including David Vernon of Century Farm Orchards and Ann Marie Thornton of James Creek Cider House, to have a rollicking discussion about the cultivation, the history, and the rich culture surrounding this delightful fruit.

We'll polish off the evening with some time for camaraderie and socialization. Quail Ridge Books of Raleigh will have a display selling Diane's new book, "Wild, Tamed, Lost, Revived: The Surprising Story of Apples in the South" published by The University of North Carolina Press, and Diane herself will be around to chit-chat and sign copies. The fine folks from James Creek Cidery will further embellish the event by providing apples to taste and cider to sip.

We hope you'll join us for this glorious evening of apples!

About Our Guests

A multiple-time James Beard Award finalist for Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Professional, Diane Flynt founded Foggy Ridge Cider in 1997 after leaving her corporate career and produced cider until 2018. She now sells cider apples from the Foggy Ridge orchards in the Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains.

David Vernon's Century Farm Orchards is a small family farm that grows over 500 varieties of old southern (heirloom) apples. They also serve as a nursery disseminating these trees and the education needed to grow them successfully throughout the US. 

Ann Marie Thornton of James Creek Cider House and her husband David planted their orchard back in 2009 with the idea of making hard cider as a means of recapturing some of the magic of Ann Marie's college years studying abroad in London. James Creek Cider House makes premium, harvest-based ciders from Southern heirloom and cider apple varieties grown in their orchards in Moore County, North Carolina. and other local farms, including Diane Flynt's Foggy Ridge! They've been selling cider since 2016 and produce nearly a dozen cider varieties.

Cost

Free for Friends of the JC Raulston Arboretum members and their guests

Registration

Advance registration is required since space is limited.

Cancellation

If your plans change and you're not able to attend, please email jcraprograms@ncsu.edu as soon as you know so that we can make your spot available for another member to attend.

Location

The York Auditorium of the Ruby C. McSwain Education Center at the JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University, 4415 Beryl Road, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Directions

Need directions? Click here.

Parking

Free parking is available at the JC Raulston Arboretum and along Beryl Road.

Questions

Please write jcraprograms@ncsu.edu for more information about this lecture.